Part 21 (2/2)

Meanwhile Bickley and I produced two camp chairs which we had made ready, and on these the wondrous pair seated themselves side by side

”We have come to learn,” said Oro ”Teach!”

”Not so, Father,” interrupted Yva, who, I noted, was clothed in yet a third costuine ”First I would ask a question Whence are you, Strangers, and how caland and a great storm shi+pwrecked us here; that, I think, which raised the mouth of the cave above the level of this rock,” I answered

”The ti coh to hi the books we had with us was a pocket atlas, quite a good one of its sort By way of answer I opened it at the land Also I showed, to within a thousand miles or so, that spot on the earth's surface where we spoke together

The sight of this atlas excited the pair greatly They had not the slightest difficulty in understanding everything about it and the shape of the world with its division into hemispheres seemed to be quite familiar to them What appeared chiefly to interest them, and especially Oro, were the relative areas and positions of land and sea

”Of this, Strangers,” he said, pointing to the map, ”I shall have much to say to you when I have studied the pictures of your book and coot lish, ”as well as star charts

I wonder where he keeps theested Bastin

Meanwhile Oro had hidden the atlas in his ahter to proceed

”Why do you coland so far away?” the Lady Yva asked, a question to which each of us had an answer

”To see new countries,” I said

”Because the cyclone brought us,” said Bickley

”To convert the heathen to ion,” said Bastin, which was not strictly true

It was on this last reply that she fixed

”What does your religion teach?” she asked

”It teaches that those who accept it and obey its coain after death for ever in a better world where is neither sorrow nor sin,” he answered

When he heard this saying I saw Oro start as though struck by a new thought and look at Bastin with a curious intentness

”Who are the heathen?” Yva asked again after a pause, for she also seeree with Bastin's spiritual views,” answered Bickley

”Those hether from lack of instruction or from hardness of heart, do not follow the true faith For instance, I suppose that your father and you are heathen,” replied Bastin stoutly

This see and smiled, while Oro said: